Twins Found Unattended After Their Mother is Discovered Intoxicated and Wandering the Highway!
One Texas woman is in big trouble today after Harris County authorities say they found her intoxicated on the side of the road and her young children left unattended.
On Tuesday evening, just before 10pm, Harris County police received a call about a "white female walking in the eastbound lanes of traffic on I-20 near the 619-mile marker." When they responded to the call they found 26-year-old Fantasia Martinez, intoxicated and acting erratically. Authorities resume that Martinez was intoxicated with both alcohol and narcotics.
While completing an interview with Martinez, she informed Deputies that "her vehicle had broken down and both her children were still in the vehicle." Due to proximity to the Interstate, the situation for Deputies and Troopers escalated concern for the welfare of the children. At that time, Martinez was detained and secured into the backseat caged area of an HCSO patrol unit.
After a brief search of the immediate area, Martinez's vehicle was located at the end of Buck Sherrod Road South of I-20, which is within proximity of where Martinez was initially located. The vehicle appeared to have crashed through multiple road barricades, the engine was still running, and an infant was in the backseat, coming to a rest at a tree. The Deputy had to break out a vehicle window to rescue the infant from the vehicle.
While the Deputy attempted to rescue Martinez's child, she escaped custody from the patrol unit. The Deputy had to divert his attention from checking the child's condition and regain control of Martinez. Martinez continued to resist, but eventually, the Deputies successfully regained control and re-secured her.
Once Martinez was re-secured, she began asking about her 2nd child and evidence-supported two infant car seat carriers being located in the wrecked vehicle. Then, Deputies and Troopers had reason to believe that a second child was missing.
Within minutes 60 additional officers were called to the area to search for the second child. It was sweltering that night and one of the officers required medical attention due to the heat.
After further investigation troopers found an address for Martinez and went there. After forcing entry they found the second child, unattended but, unharmed and uninjured.
Martinez was transported to the Harrison County Jail, where she was charged with: 2-Abandon/Endanger Child Imminent Danger Bodily Injury F/2 1-Driving While Intoxicated w/ Child Passenger SJF 1-Escape M/A 1-Resisting Arrest/Transport M/A
Sheriff Fletcher issues a statement thanking all of those involved in assisting to make sure that the children were found saying in part "Thank you to the Deputies, DPS, ESDs, and Marshall Fire Department for their efforts in locating these children. It is heartbreaking to know that some children have to live in these conditions, but I am glad no lives were lost."
We're thankful these children weren't harmed. This could have been much worse.
